SUPERFICIAL FLEXOR TENDON

Functions differently in the front and hind legs. In front, the SFT passes down the back of the leg and bifurcates (divides) below the fetlock and attaches to the bottom end of the long pastern and upper end of the short pastern bone at the pastern joint. At the sesamoids, it passes over and forms a collar around the deep flexor tendon. It is most frequently the tendon that develops tendinitis or bowed tendon syndrome.
The SFT of the hind leg functions mostly as a ligament in the "stay apparatus" of the limb. The SFT passes through the center of a small muscle mass from the back of the femur and attaches to the point of the hock. Below the hock there is no muscular effect on the tendon, it acts completly as a ligament.